Most computer applications pose an accessibility barrier to those who are unable to read fluently. The heavy use of text on everything from menus and help functions to the actual document content itself severely limits the ability of those who are illiterate or semi-illiterate to access functions and services implemented on a computer.
Graphical user interfaces (GUI's) have been developed to make computer systems easy to use without users needing to remember complex commands. These GUI's typically start with a desktop, which is a visual screen area upon which different graphical objects, such as icons, windows and menus, can be displayed. An icon is a small graphic symbol, often with accompanying text, which causes something to happen when selected. Menus provide the same functionality as icons, but can present many more options to the user as multiple menus often exist on a menu bar (usually located on the edge of a desktop window) with each individual menu opening up into many separate choices. However, menus signal their functions using text. For example, the common “File” menu has commands such as “Open”, “Save” and “Print”, all of which might also be represented with icons on the desktop.
Various pointing devices are used to select the different GUI objects. Examples of common pointing devices are computer mice, styluses, and touch screens. Typically, a user selects a graphical object by positioning a cursor associated with the pointing device over the object and then clicking a mouse button, tapping a stylus, tapping the screen, or otherwise indicating that such an object should be selected. When the cursor is positioned over the object, the object indicates that it is selectable by changing color, changing shape, etc.
These basic computer concepts can be difficult for new users to understand. If these new users are illiterate, or speak a language different than that shown on the desktop, the difficulties are compounded. As an example of such difficulty, using a computer mouse, which seems intuitive to those who have grown up with such devices, presents quite a challenge to new computer users from backgrounds where computers, let alone computer mice, are scarce. People that are not familiar with computers can have difficulty understanding the translation of the horizontal mouse path to the vertical computer screen. Furthermore, the concept that icons are selectable, and that they represent actions that can be taken by the computer is far from clear. Also, selecting an icon by pressing a mouse button or tapping on the icon using a stylus or a finger is far from intuitive.
More difficulties arise when maps are presented on a computer to a target population that is either illiterate or cannot read the language on the map. Maps are powerful tools that allow people to answer complex questions that have a geographical dimension. The philosopher Alford Korzybski stated, “A map is not the territory it represents, but if correct, it has a similar structure to the territory, which accounts for its usefulness”. There's the rub, of course. An abstraction that compresses the real world into map form can create a barrier to understanding the actual territory the map is designed to represent.
When a map is reproduced on a computer, another layer of potential misunderstanding is raised, as users must also understand the basics of operating a computer before being able to extract knowledge from the map. If the population that is attempting to navigate by way of the map is also unfamiliar with the idea of maps in general, the difficulties are then compounded.
Therefore, it would be helpful to have computer interfaces that do not require reading, and that are simple to use for a novice computer user.